Bottling machines



Nov. 19, 1957 Filed Sept. '7, 1954 L. c. SNELLING BOTTLING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet l F/GZ. /15

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LEONARD CHARLES E'ETZ'NG WM} {PM A tlorney j Nov. 19, 1957 L. c. SNELLING BOTTLING MACHINES Filed Sept. 7, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

l V Inventor LEONARD CHARLES SNELL'NG AtlorneyS Nov. 19, 1957 1.. c. SNELLING 2,813,553

BOTTLING MACHINES Filed Sept. 7, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L- Q; Z; LI;- :1

V Inventor LEONARD CHARLES SNELLING Attorney$ United States Patent 2,813,553 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 BOTTLING MACHINES Leonard Charles Snelling, Whyteleafe, England Application September 7, 1954, Serial No. 454,502

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 10, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-48) The present invention relates to improvements in bottling machines and in particular to an improved form of device for use in bottling machines of the type in which the liquid, prior to bottling, is held totally enclosed under atmosphere, air or gas pressure.

'In bottling machinery of this type, it is necessary when bottling certain types of liquid to seal ofi the top of the bottle before it is filled and apply a gas or air pressure to the interior of the bottle which is substantially equal to the pressure under which the liquid is held, so that the liquid does not gas and froth as it enters the bottle from the holder. The application of the so-called counterpressure to the bottles raises problems, which have been previously solved by the use of a bulky rotary machine having bottle filling stations all around it. At each of these stations there is a bottle filling device having a long tube which is, in many instances, connected into the liquid holder and is adapted to enter the bottle. Each tube is provided with a guide bell which slides on the tube and is employed for the purpose of sealing the mouth of the bottle whilst counter-pressure is applied immediately before the commencement of filling. The bottles are raised on platforms and are pressed up under the bells until scaling is effected. At a predetermined moment in the cycle of the machine counter-pressure is applied and then liquid is admitted to the bottles through the tubes, which are provided with valves to close them before the platform descends to release the bottles.

This basic type of bottle filling device is the subject of several variations, but in all cases the tube which enters the bottle is fixed rigidly in the holder from which the liquid is drawn and is not movable relative to the holder.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filling device for :a bottling machine, which enables a much simpler and more compact form of bottling machine to be constructed, so that the overall cost of the machine may be less and also the amount of space required by the machine may be reduced, thus making it advantageous over known machines intended for this purpose.

According to the present invention a filling device for a bottling machine of the type in which liquid is held under gas or air in an enclosed holder comprises a stationary part adapted to be fixed in the holder and a tube for the delivery of liquid slidably mounted in the stationary part, abutment means associated with the tube for sealing against a bottle mouth on an initial movement of a bottle relative to the valve tube, by-pass means for the application of counter-pressure adapted to bring the neck of the bottle into communication with the gas space in the holder above liquid level, means normally sealing said lay-pass means and adapted to be unsealed by an initial upward movement of the tube relative to its stationary part, and means for unsealing the delivery tube after a further upward movement of the tube.

Preferably a sliding guide bell is provided to act as the abutment associated with the tube and is adapted to slide on the lower portion of the main tube. The guide bell is sure with air or carbon dioxide.

provided with sealing washers to seal respectively against the mouth of a bottle and against a fixed collar or shoulder on the main tube body.

Preferably a filling device for a bottle filling machine comprises a main tube slidably mounted in the holder for movement between predetermined upper and lower positions, the main tube being biased by resilient means towards its lower position, an abutment associated with the main tube -to co-operate with the mouth of a bottle to provide a seal for the same and to provide a means of pushing the main tube upwardly to its raised position, a by-pass tube associated with the main tube and extending from a position in the gas-filled part of the holder to an aperture in the main tube at a height near to the top of a bottle sealed against the abutment, valve means for sealing said by-pass tube, said valve means being opened during an initial upward movement of a bottle relative to the holder so as to admit an equalising pressure to a sealed bottle and valve means sealing the main tube adapted to be opened after a further upward movement of the bottle relative to the holder causing upward movement of the main tube. When the main tube is unsealed, liquid flows into the bottle without substantial gassing and air or gas is displaced into the holder through the by-pass tube.

In one form of the invention a measuring device is associated with each filling device and is built into the holder, the measuring device comprising an enclosed container having a valve which is open to communicate with the holder during downward movement of the delivery tube to allow liquid to flow into the container, said valve being adapted to be open when the delivery tube is in its normal position so as to fill the container with liquid and to be closed on upward movement of the delivery tube before the liquid delivery means is opened. By this device a fixed volume of liquid is delivered to the bottle in each filling operation.

-In another form of the invention the fiow of liquid from the holder to a bottle continues until it covers the bottom end of the by-pass tube. It cannot continue substantially beyond this point, because there is an enclosed pocket of gas or air between the surface of the liquid and the sealed mouth of the bottle. In this form of the invention minor irregularities in bottle volumes are not al lowed for and the bottle is filled up to a fixed level relative to its mouth.

Reference is hereinafter drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a section of one form of filling device made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section of a modified form of filling device.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of one form of bottling machine in which the new form of filling device may be included.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the bottling machine.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the bottling machine with the holder omitted.

The filling device shown in Figure 1 is adapted to be fixed into the liquid holder of a bottling machine, in which the liquid holder is adapted to be kept filled with liquid to a substantially constant level and the gas space above the liquid is maintained at a substantially constant pres- The filling device has been specifically designed to meet the problems arising in bottling beer, but is equally useful with other liquids.

The holder is indicated diagrammatically at 1 and is kept filled with liquid up to the liquid level indicated. The filling device comprises a fixed guide base 2, which is adapted to be secured to the holder by means of a threaded ring 3 which is screwed onto a flange 4 on the base of the holder 1. The main sliding tube part 5 is mounted in the guide base 2 and is made as a very close sliding fit therein,

made to the accompanying so that liquid cannot enter the tube through the port 6 formed therein except when it has been pushed up sufiiciently for the port 6 to clear the top of the stationary guide 2. The tube is provided with a pair of O-rings 7 to provide an additional seal between it and the guide 2.

The tube 5 is normally prevented from turning by engagement of a pin 2a in a vertical slot 5a. Horizontal slots 5b and 5c are provided for engagement with the pin 2a to hold the tube 5 in alternative raised positions for purposes to be described later.

The tube 5 has a collar 8 attached to it to serve as an abutment for a compression spring 9, which is arranged between the collar and the undersurface of the guide 2. This spring serves as a return spring for the valve tube 5 at the end of each filling operation.

A lower tube 10 is threaded directly into the bottom end of the tube body 5 and is for practical purposes integral with it. The bottom end of the lower tube 10 has a flared portion 11, in which apertures 12 are formed. The bottom end of the flared portion 11 is closed.

A collapsible guide bell is slidably mounted on the lower tube 10 and consists of an upper part and a lower part urged apart by a spring. The lower part is provided with a skirt portion 14 in which a rubber sealing washer 15 is located. The sealing washer 15 is provided with a flat face 16 to seal against the top of a bottle and a conical interior face 17 to seal over the apertures 12 when the guide bell is in its lowest position.

The skirt portion 14 is secured to a cylinder 18, which has a flanged retaining ring 19 attached to it at its periphery. The upper part of the collapsible guide bell is constituted by a piston member 20 located in the cylinder 18 and is provided with O-rings 21 to form a seal between it and the cylinder wall. The piston member 20 is loosely guided on the lower tube 10 and has an upwardly extending portion 22, in the top of which a conical seating 23 is formed, which is adapted to seal against a conical sealing washer 24 attached to the collar 8, when the collapsible bell is forced upwardly against it. This seals otf the inside of the cylinder 18 from atmosphere. The skirt 14 also fits loosely around the tube 10 so as to provide a gas passage between a bottle sealed against the washer 15 and the interior of the cylinder 18.

A compression spring 25 is arranged between the skirt portion 14 and the piston 20 to separate the two parts. The spring 25 is lighter than the spring 9.

The collapsible guide bell above described forms the subject of my co-pending British patent application No. 22,608/54.

The means for supplying a measured quantity of liquid to a bottle comprises a cylindrical container attached to the guide base 2. The container 30 is totally enclosed with the exception of a breather tube 31, which communicates with the gas space in the top of the holder 1 and also incidentally serves as a means for adjusting the eflec tive volume of the container. This can be effected by adjusting the level of liquid in the holder. The resulting increase or decrease of the amount of liquid in the tube 31 will act as an adjustment of the amount of liquid delivered.

The container 30 is provided with valve ports 32, which are adapted to be closed by pivoted members 33. These members 33 are positively closed and opened by means of spring blades 34, which are secured to the valve tube 5. They are positively closed by the spring blades 34 on rais ing the tube 5, as shown at the left-hand side of Figure l, the blade first engaging against the inclined surface 35 to force the member 33 closed during upward movement of the valve tube 5. The construction is arranged so that the valve ports 32 are securely closed before 80% of the port 6 is exposed to the interior of the container 30. During further upward movement of the tube 5, the blades 34- ride over the flat back surfaces 36 of the members 33.

The pivoted members 33 are so weighted as to fall open automatically on release by the blades 34 during downward movement of the tube 5, but it a member 33 should stick, it is positively opened by the engagement of its corresponding blade 34 with its tail 37.

An upper tube 40 is secured in the top end of the delivery tube 5 and extends through the top member 41 of the container 30. The upper tube is guided in the top member 41 and a gland is provided by the O-rings 42. A needle valve 43 is provided at the top end of the upper tube 40. The valve 43 is an optional feature and may be omitted. It is only made operative when the liquid in the holder 1 is held under carbon dioxide gas under pressure.

A bolt 44 is fixed to the top member 41 and supports a cup 45, in which a rubber sealing pad 46 is located. The pad 46 is employed to seal off the aperture in the inlet member 47, through which the counter-pressure gas is applied to the bottle through a by-pass tube 48, the main tubes 40 and 5 to outlets 49 and 12 near the top and bottom end of the tube 10. The outlet 49 is so positioned that when the skirt portion 14 has reached the upper limit of its travel, the outlet 4 registers below the top of the neck of the bottle.

The operation of the new filling device is efiected solely by moving the holder 1 and a bottle relatively towards each other. The holder is preferably moved down to insert the delivery tube system into a bottle and the weight of the holder pressing down on the bottle is used to provide at least part of the force required for sealing the bottle and the displacement of the delivery tube upwardly into the holder. As the bottom end of the tube 10 enters the bottle, the washer 15 rests on the bottle mouth and the collapsible guide bell is displaced upwardly, so that the apertures 11 are uncovered. A slow stream of gas from the holder then commences to enter the bottle if the needle valve 43 is open. This effects at least a partial displacement of air from the bottle.

After a further movement the seating 23 on the piston 29 comes into contact with the washer 24 and the piston 20 is then arrested relative to the tube. The value of the spring 25 is so chosen relative to that of the spring 9 that further movement collapses the guide bell and brings the piston 20 into contact with the bottom of the cylinder 18, before the spring 9 yields to any significant effect.

The collapsible guide bell and the delivery tube 5 now move upwardly solidly relative to the stationary base 2. As soon as the tube 5 commences to move upwardly the inlet member 47 is displaced from its pad 46 and the gas space in the holder 1 is put into communication with the sealed bottle by way of the bypass tube 48, main tubes 10, 5 and 4t), and the cylinder 18, thus establishing counter-pressure in the bottle.

As the tube 5 moves further into the holder, the spring blades 34 close the valve members 33 before the port 6 is exposed. The delivery tube 5 rises until the port 6 lies in a recess 30a in the bottom of the container 39. At this point the collar 8 contacts the bottom end of the stationary guide 2, so as to halt further upward movement of the tube 5. The tube 5 is held in this position for a time sufiicient to permit the container 30 to empty its contents into the bottle.

The discharge of the contents of the container 30 is etfected with substantially no gassing, since the liquid entering the bottle has the same pressure exerted on its surface by the counter-pressure admitted through the bypass tube 48 as is exerted on the liquid in the container 30 through the tube 31. The liquid thus, in effect, is discharged to the bottle under gravity and the gas displaced from the bottle returns to the container through the bypass tube 48.

After sutlicient time has been allowed for the container 36) to drain, the holder 1 is raised with the effect that the tube 5 moves downwardly relative to it. The steps are now reversed; first, the port 6 is Withdrawn into the guide 2; next, the valve members 33 open to allow the container 30 to refill; next, the inlet member 47 reseats on its pad 46 to shut off the counter-pressure.

Up to this stage the tube 5 has moved downwards under the influence of the spring 9 which is of suflicient strength both to overcome the drag of the tube 5 in its guide 2 and simultaneously to keep the spring 25 fully collapsed.

The collapsible guide bell now performs its function of providing a gradual release of the internal pressure in the bottle. If the seal between the guide bell and the bottle is broken abruptly whilst the neck of the bottle is still held at the full counter-pressure, the rapid expansion of the gas is accompanied by foaming in the bottle neck, caused by a rapid accumulation of bubbles.

As the tube 5 descends further, the gas in the neck of the bottle above the liquid level expands into the gradually increasing space inside the cylinder 18, as the piston 20 and skirt 14 are forced apart by the spring 25. After the piston 20 meets the retaining ring 19, further raising of the holder separates the seating 23 from the washer 24 and the seal at the top of the bottle is broken. The pressure has, however, been very much reduced by the expansion of the gas into the collapsible guide bell, so that when the seal is broken, there is no appreciable foaming.

During further upward movement of the tube 5 relative to the bottle, as he holder 1 is raised, a slow stream of carbon dioxide gas may be passed into the bottle through the valve 43 to establish a cushion of gas on the top of the liquid, so that there is no air left in the bottle.

As the valve is drawn out of the bottle, the conical face 17 of the washer closes the apertures 12 and prevents dribbling.

A particular advantage of the new filling device is that it is completely inoperative except when a bottle is in position underneath it, so that if a bottle is omitted orbreaks during filling, the filling device is shut off and no further loss results.

The holder 1 and the filling device may be cleaned out by filling it completely with cleansing agent whilst pin 2a is engaged with the slot 50, so that the valve port 6 is exposed. Liquid then enters the container through the tube 31 and the whole of the container and valve is cleansed.

When the pin 2a is engaged with the groove 5b the tube 5 is locked in such a position that about of the port 6 is exposed and the valves 33 are not fully closed. This permits the holder 1 to be completely drained and also allows live steam to be blown through the holder and the filling valve with all apertures, ports and flow passages open, so as to efiect complete sterilisation.

A modified form of filling device is shown in Figure 2. This form of filling device is constructed so as to be fitted into the bottom of the liquid holder 1 of a bottling machine. The filling device comprises a main tube 102 mounted in a stationary guide 103 secured in a flange 104 for attachment to the liquid holder 1. The guide 103 is constructed in two parts between which a gland 105 is held. The gland 105 is constructed to withstand the maximum pressure which is to be applied above the liquid in the holder 1.

The bottom end of the main tube 102 is normally sealed by a pear valve 106 of a type, which is conventional in bottle filling valves. The valve 106 is supported on the end of a thin rod or a wire 107 attached to the bottom end of a tension spring 108 suspended within the tube 102 from a fixed support 109 mounted in the flange 104. The spring 108 is normally maintained in a state of tension, but it will be appreciated that as the tube 102 is raised relative to the support 109 the valve 106 will remain closed until the spring reaches a fully relaxed condition, after which the pear valve 106 is unseated at a position governed by predetermined adjustment effected by means of the clamp screw ltida. Liquid is admitted to the main tube through an aperture 110 in its side at the bottom of the liquid holder 1.

A by-pa'ss tube 111 is housed within the main tube 102 and extends from a small aperture 112 in the side of the main tube right up to and slightly beyond the top of it. The top end of the by-pass tube is bent round through a semi-circle to form an inlet portion 114, which, in the bottom position of the tube 102, seals against a rubber or like pad 115 positioned on top of the fixed support 109.

An abutment collar 116, which also acts as a sealing plate, is fastened to the outside of the main tube 102 at a suitable height above the by-pass tube aperture 112. A compression spring 117 is arranged between the collar 116 and the bottom of the housing of the gland 105. The collar 116 contacts the bottom of the guide 103 to limit the upward movement of the main tube 102 and the compression spring 117 must be of sufiicient strength to move the tube 102 downward against the combined frictional resistance of the gland 105 and resistance of the tension spring 108.

A ferrule 118 is attached to the bottom of the main tube 102 and acts as a support for a guide bell 119 of conventional construction. The guide bell has an internal shoulder 120 to engage on the ferrule 118 and is provided with a substantial internal washer 121 to engage against the mouth of a bottle to seal with it. It also has a sealing ring 122 on its top surface to seal against the bottom of the abutment collar 116, so as to completely seal off a bottle from atmosphere, when it is thrust up to cause the guide bell to engage with the abutment collar 116.

The operation of this filling device is identical with that shown in Figure 1, except that it does not employ a device for effecting a direct measurement of the liquid discharged by the filling device in each operation. In the present construction, when the pear valve 106 is open, liquid continues to flow from the holder 1 into a sealed bottle until the by-pass aperture 112 is covered. The sealed gas pocket between the washer 121 and the top of liquid in the bottle then prevents a further flow of liquid from the holder 1.

The principal advantage of the new form of filling device shown in Figures 1 and 2 is that it permits the construction of a much more compact and simple machine for bottling under counter-pressure conditions than has previously been possible. One form of machine which forms the subject of my pending British patent application No. 22,607/54 is shown in Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings and is designed to operate with filling devices constructed as shown in either of Figures 1 or 2. This machine is designed to be positioned between a bottle washing machine and a capping machine.

The machine is mounted on a framework 201 fabricated from metal members.

A table 202 is mounted centrally on the framework and in the present instance is long enough to take fifteen bottles and is slightly wider than the diameter of one bottle. Partitions 203 about 4" high are provided at 4" intervals along the table to act as spacers and guides for accurately positioning bottles under the tiller devices 204 mounted in the bottom of the holder 205. The table 202 is mounted on vertically movable supports 206 guided in the framework 201 and is adapted to be pressed down 2" onto stops 207 when subjected to full pressure. Strong springs 208 are provided to return the table 202 to its starting position (as in Figure 4-) with a load of filled bottles. Input and output slat conveyors 209 and 210 are mounted on the framework 201 on the two sides of the table 202 with their top run level with the normal position of the table. The slat conveyors are both constantly driven and the timing of the whole machine is synchronised with the drive of the input conveyor 209.

The bottles are arranged on the input conveyor at the correct spacing and position by means of a. star wheel 211 driven from the conveyor drive. The conveyor 209 then carries the bottlesalong the side of the table 202 until there is a complete group of fifteen bottles, each opposite a table compartment defined by a pair of partitions 2%. The bottles are then pushed onto the table by a pusher bar 212, at the same time pushing the filled bottles off the table 202 onto the delivery conveyor 21%, which carries them away to a capping machine.

The pusher bar 212 is operated by means of a pair of hydraulic or pneumatic rams 214, which are controlled by valves (not shown), the operation of which is synchronised with the starwheel 211.

Since the starwheel 211 and the conveyor 2% both move continuously at a steady speed, means must be provided for avoiding fouling of the pusher bar 212 by the first bottle of the next group. This is avoided during the forward movement of the bar 212 by making the bar of such a length that it extends only just beyond the centre of the last bottle of a batch (see Figure 5).

By the time the bar 212 has completed its forward movement the first bottle of the next group is already behind it. The pusher bar 212 and its rams 214 are therefore mounted on a carriage 2215 supported on guide rods extending parallel to the table 202. The carriage 215 is moved longitudinally by a further ram 216 mounted on the carriage and acting against a stationary abutment 217. The carriage operation is also timed with that of the starwheel 211 and the conveyor 209. During the return movement of the pusher bar 212, the ram 216 moves the carriage 215 longitudinally in the direction of the movement of the conveyor 209 to enable the pusher bar 212 to clear the front bottle on the conveyor 209. The pusher bar 212 is withdrawn to the position shown in chain lines in Figure 5. The ram 216 then returns the carriage 215 to its start position.

As soon as the bottles are in position on the table 202 the holder 205 commences to descend to insert the tubes of the filling devices 204 into the bottles. The holder 205 is a tank with fifteen filling devices 204 secured in its under side and is rather longer than the table 202. The holder is provided with conventional means for maintaining a substantially constant liquid level in it and also a substantially constant gas pres sure above the liquid. The holder 205 when filled with liquid is of a considerable weight. It is supported by robust hydraulic or pneumatic rams 218, located at the ends of the table 202. The operation of the rams 218 is timed to bring the holder 205 down onto the bottles as soon as they are in position. The table 202 yields under the pressure exerted on the bottles by the holder and the rams 218 until it contacts its stops 207.

In order to equalise the pressure exerted by the two rams 213 and to ensure that the two ends of the holder 205 descend at the same rate, a cross shaft 219 is rotatably mounted in bearings 220 on the ram piston rods 221. The cross shaft 219 has two fibre pinions 222 keyed to it, one near each end. The pinions engage with stationary racks 223 fixed to the frame of the machine, thus co-ordinating the movement of the two rams 218. The piston rods 221 are given additional support by guide sleeves 224 fixed to the frame 201.

The holder 205 descends, fills the bottles and withdraws the filling devices from the bottles, within the time interval required for the input conveyor 209 to line up a fresh group of bottles alongside the table 202.

The filling cycle is completed by the filled bottles being pushed onto the delivery conveyor 210 by the next group of bottles pushed onto the table by the pusher bar 212.

I claim:

1. A filling device for a bottling machine of the type in which liquid is held under gas or air in an enclosed supply holder, comprising a stationary mounting secured in the holder, a delivery tube longitudinally movable in said mounting and extending upwardly into the gas space at the top of the holder, a stationary enclosed container having a vent into the gas or air space in the holder,

an abutment on the delivery tube, means for bringing a bottle into sealed relation with the abutment to enable a bottle to be moved upwardly relatively to the holder in sealed relation with said tube, a bypass means between the gas space in the top of the holder and the abutment for bringing the gas space into communication with the top of a bottle held in sealed relation with said abutment, a first valve means connecting the gas space with the interior of the delivery tube and with said bypass means, a second valve means connecting the interior of the delivery tube with the interior of the container, and a third valve means connecting the interior of the container with the liquid space in the holder, said first valve means being opened by an initial upward movement of the tube, said second valve means being opened after further upward movement of the tube and said third valve means being closed by the further upward movement of said tube and being maintained closed at least for substantially the whole period that said second valve means is open.

2. A filling device as claimed in claim 1, in which the delivery tube is closely fitted in the stationary mounting for sliding movement relative thereto, said tube having a delivery port formed therein which is concealed in the mounting at the bottom of the travel of the tube and is connected to the interior of the container when the tube is raised to permit liquid to flow from the corn tainer to the delivery tube, said delivery port constituting said second valve means.

3. A filling device as claimed in claim 1, in which gas or air is admitted to the lower part of a bottle through the delivery tube, said first valve means serving to connect the gas or air space both to the interior of the delivery tube and to the by-pass means.

4. In a bottling machine of the type in which liquid is held under gas or air in an enclosed supply holder, a filling device comprising a stationary mounting secured in the holder, a delivery tube longitudinally movable in the mounting and extending upwardly into the gas space at the top of the holder, an abutment on said delivery tube, means for bringing a bottle into sealed relation with said abutment to enable a bottle to be moved upwardly relatively to the holder in sealed relation with said delivery tube, means between the top of the holder and said abutment for bringing the gas space in the top of the holder into communication with the top of a bottle held in sealed relation with said abutment, a first valve means for opening and closing said means, a second valve means on said delivery tube for admitting liquid to the interior of the delivery tube, the first valve means opening on an initial upward movement of the delivery tube and the second valve means opening after further upward movement of the delivery tube, a stationary enclosed container surrounding a part of the delivery tube and having a vent extending into the gas or air space in the holder, a third valve means connecting the interior of the container with the liquid space in the holder and opening and closing in response to up and down movement of the delivery tube, the second and third valve means being synchronized with each other so that the third valve means is maintained closed at least for substantially the whole period that the second valve means is open.

5. In a bottling machine of the type in which liquid is held under gas or air in an enclosed supply holder and is dispensed to a bottle under gaseous counter pressure, a filling device comprising a delivery tube extending from below the supply holder into the gas or air space at the top of the holder, means for bringing a bottle into sealed relation with said delivery tube, lay-pass means for bringing the bottle into communication with said gas or air space, a container positioned around a part of said delivery tube and vented into the gas or air space, a first valve means for opening and closing said by-pass means, a second valve means for bringing the space within the container into and out of communication with the interior of the delivery tube and a third valve means for bringing the liquid space in the holder into and out of communication with the interior of the container, and operating means for said first, second and third valve means timed so that said first valve means opens first, said second valve means opens next and closes before said first valve means and so that said third valve means remains closed at least for substantially the whole period that said second valve means are open, whereby in each operation of the first, second and third valve means a substantially fixed quantity of liquid is dispensed.

6. A filling device for a bottling machine of the type in which liquid is held under gas or air in an enclosed supply holder comprising a stationary part secured to the holder and a tube for delivery of liquid from the holder to a bottle, a freely sliding guide bell mounted on the tube between upper and lower positions, a fixed formation on the delivery tube against which said guide bell is adapted to seal in its upper position to complete -a seal between a bottle and the delivery tube, by-pass means for bringing the neck of the bottle into communication with the gas space in the holder above liquid level, means normally sealing said by-pass means and unsealed by an initial upward movement of the delivery tube relative to its stationary part, said delivery tube having a liquid inlet, an enclosed container surrounding a part of said delivery tube and adapted to be wholly submerged in the liquid in the holder, a breather tube for connecting the enclosed container with the space in the holder above liquid level, an inlet valve to said container, means associated with the delivery tube for opening and closing said inlet valve, said means being operative to close the inlet valve during upward movement of the delivery tube and means for unsealing the inlet in said delivery tube to admit liquid to said delivery tube after a further upward movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,436 Kantor May 24, 1938 2,221,435 Preston et al Nov. 12, 1940 2,330,596 Kotcher Sept. 28, 1943 2,584,338 Ferguson et al. Feb. 5, 1952 2,652,965 McGihon Sept. 22, 1953 

